I am buying a used car but the title owner is out of the country.?

Question

The title owner is out of the country and the car is being sold by her sister. Is it alright/common to buy without the owner being present. The title has been signed by the owner (there is not way to confirm that signature is the owner's) and will be transfered to my name. Is there anything additional I should be doing or checking?

Answer 1

I don't know why such a big story.  When I buy a used car , I don't know the person who I am buying the car from.   There is no reason.   The papers are signed.   You have a bill of sale which is dated.  Nowhere does it say that you need to take their fingerprints, DNA, firstborn, or anything else like that.   You should do a leins check to see if money is owed on the vehicle for repairs.    Other than that,???  I don't care if the sister came from another planet.

Keep the paperwork and you are covered/protected somehow.   Officials love paperwork.

Answer 2

I would first have the Dept. of Motor Vehicles in your State run a title check.  Also ask them for as much information as possible on the vehicle.  They may or may not be able to verify the signature.  Also check the VIN on the vehicle against the on on the title.

Answer 3

Running the other way..........   This sounds so much like the scams going on with Craig's list and other type scams.  If you don't know the seller personally avoid this deal like the plague.

If it's too good a deal to pass up then it's like any deal "too good to be true".    They are always NOT TRUE.

Without being there to assess the complete issues this is the best advice I can give you.

Good luck

RoyG

KC

Answer 4

Ditto to what one poster said.

Sounds like a scam.

Wait for this person to ask you to send back the excess from a fake money order you get sent to your mailbox...

Answer 5

have the current owner fax a photo id with signature to you and a short statement that he is indeed selling  the car or x*x amount and to you also signed.   compare signature to title and if they look good your good to go.   also have his sister's photo id copied ad a short statement signed that says whats going on and such.

if they refuse to do that then dot buy the car no matter how much of a deal it is.

the problem with not caring is because the car could stolen/ not the owners signature.  to much trouble for what its worth.

Answer 6

How many red flags need to be waved in your face before you realized you're being scammed?

Red flag #1, the owner is out of the country

Red flag #2, the car is being sold by her "sister"

Red flag #3, the signiture on the title is neither notarized or witnessed

I hope you didn't give this person a deposit or down payment. if so, consider it gone. Do you know how easy it is to make a fake title? People steal cars, get fakes titles, then sell them. Eventually, the police will spot this stolen car you bought and confiscate it. You're out a car and the money you paid for it. You have no recourse.

The 'owner" of the car who sold it to you never owned it. It must be returned to the true owner. Sure, you could sue the criminal for the money you're out. But first he/she has to be caught, convicted and imprisoned before you can start civil proceedings agasint him/her. And when you win, good luck trying to collect!

I can only hope you didn't leave a deposit or worse yet, buy this car.